2009 Honorees

Join us for the annual Alumni Recognition Luncheon to recognize the classes of 1984 and 1959 on their 25th and 50th Class Reunions and to honor the following alumni award recipients:

Thomas R. Baruch, L’67
Josiah H. Blackmore II Dean’s Award

Jonathan W. Marshall, L'70
Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award

Emmett M. Kelly, L'99
Alumni Outstanding Service Award

Kendra L. Carpenter, L'01
Young Alumna of the Year Award

LeeAnn M. Massucci, L'02
Graduate of the Last Decade Award

Thomas R. Baruch, L’67
Josiah H. Blackmore II Dean’s Award

Created in 2006 by the alumni association board, The Josiah H. Blackmore II Dean’s award is named in honor of former law school dean, professor and university president, Josiah Blackmore. The award recognizes outstanding service to Capital Law School and more specifically, to the dean’s office and the recipient is chosen by the dean.

Tom Baruch, a registered patent attorney, began his legal education in the evening program at the Y when we were then the Franklin Law School and he graduated soon after we became part of Capital University. He honed his “early-stage” investment skills at Battelle Development Corporation, and then went to the Exxon Corporation where he managed investments and created several early-stage technology companies. In 1989, he founded the San Francisco-based venture capital firm CMEA Capital to pursue his lifelong passion for applying investment strategies to new technologies. Today, he serves as its founder and managing director and heads up the firm’s energy and materials investments. Tom holds an engineering degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and serves as a member of its Board of Trustees. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Berkeley Institute for Synthetic Biology and the Board of That Man May See Foundation. Tom is a visionary whose support and commitment to the Law School’s strategic plan has helped to enhance our faculty and the legal education we provide through the establishment of the Professor Emeritus John E. Sullivan Professor of Law position.

Jonathan W. Marshall, L'70
Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award

The Distinguished Alumnus of the Year award honors significant achievements in the legal occupation, and notable contributions to the profession, community and the Law School.

As Secretary to the Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline for the Supreme Court of Ohio, Jonathan Marshall has been a leader in the development and promotion of high standards of professional conduct within the legal and judicial professions. He has been instrumental in establishing rules which insure that the public is protected from the misconduct of unethical lawyers while guaranteeing the rights of those accused of misconduct to a full and fair hearing. Jon was a valuable member of the Supreme Court of Ohio task force that resulted in the adoption of the 2007 Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct and the 2009 Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct and he is currently serving on a task force that is taking a comprehensive look at the state’s disciplinary process.

Earlier in his career, Jon was in private practice, served as elections counsel for Ohio’s Secretary of State, and was a Common Pleas Judge.

Jon has demonstrated a deep commitment to Capital Law School. He has served as a member of the Alumni Association Board, the Law School’s Carnegie committee and as a moot court judge. He was the first alumnus to provide a matching gift to the John E. Sullivan Professorship. Jon volunteers each year to serve as a judge for the Ohio Mock Trial program and he has been a long-time member of the board of trustees of the Ohio State Legal Services Association.

A letter of support for his nomination, read: “In his private practice, his service with the Board, and in his personal life, Jon has been a credit to Capital Law School. He represents all of the traits and characteristics of an attorney that the law school strives to engrain and project in its graduates.”

Emmett M. Kelly, L'99
Alumni Outstanding Service Award

The Alumni Outstanding Service Award recognizes significant voluntary service, beyond the call of business or professional duty, to the community and/or Capital Law School.

Emmett Kelly is an outstanding volunteer to Capital Law School. He is a past president of the Alumni Association Board and his first experience with the board came in 1998 when he was then president of the Student Bar Association and served as an ex-officio member. His service to the Alumni Association has continued ever since.

Emmett believes strongly in giving back to his community. He is a member of the Board of Directors for The Buckeye Ranch Foundation, which offers family-focused mental health treatment services for children with behavioral or psychological disorders. He also serves as the company Coordinator for Big Brothers/Big sisters – Bowl for Kids Sake. He is a volunteer for Rebuilding Together Columbus, which helps repair homes for the elderly, disabled, and low-income families so they may live with independence and dignity, a volunteer for the Columbus public schools and coaches Upper Arlington Youth Lacrosse.

Emmett is a partner in the bond, structured and public finance practice group of Bricker and Eckler LLP and practices in the areas of public finance and public law. In 2003, he graduated from the Leadership Columbus Program and in 2006 he was named as one of Business Firsts’ 40 Under 40.

Kendra L. Carpenter, L'01
Young Alumna of the Year Award

To be considered for the Young Alumnus of the Year Award, nominees must be 40 years or younger, making significant achievements in their occupations, and notable contributions to the profession and community.

Kendra Carpenter, is director of Litigation for Campbell, Hornbeck, Chilcoat & Veatch. Kendra was previously an associate at Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease, had her own law office and also served as of counsel for Maguire and Schneider. Among her many legal achievements, Kendra recently assisted in a case that obtained a $1.1 million jury verdict in a personal injury suit.

Kendra works closely with the Capital University Law School Legal Clinic, both referring cases and taking pro-bono or reduced fee work. She also performs pro bono service for the Capital Area Humane Society, Franklin County Legal Aid and the Military Pro-Bono project through the American Bar Association.

In her personal life, Kendra has dedicated many hours of service to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Central Ohio. She was a member of its Board of Trustees for five years. As chair of its Advocacy Committee, she initiated and advocated for the passage of a law designating September as Ohio’s official leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myleoma awareness month and she has testified before congress for cancer research funding. She twice received the organization’s service award.

Active in local politics, she is a recipient of the Nick Mamias Volunteer of the Year Fundraising Award and has served in leadership positions for the Franklin County Judicial Salute Committee. She is a graduate of the Jo Anne Davidson Leadership Institute and is a member of Women for Economic Leadership Development and the Clintonville Chamber of Commerce.

LeeAnn M. Massucci, L'02
G.O.L.D. (Graduate of the Last Decade) Award

A new award for 2009, the Graduate of the Last Decade or G.O.L.D. Award recognizes significant achievements in one’s occupation and contributions to the profession or the Law School. The award is also based on the number of years out of Law School.

LeeAnn Massucci, founder of Massucci & Kline, focuses her practice exclusively on family law. A valued educator, she is an adjunct professor for the Center for Dispute Resolution and teaches the Divorce Mediation Certification courses. In 2007-08, LeeAnn defended a lesbian mother against arguments by the mother’s former partner that a recent amendment to the Ohio constitution invalidated the woman’s agreement to share custody of their son. The case, “In the matter of JDF, Minor Child,” resulted in a significant appellate decision that will have a lasting effect on the law for years to come. As a result of her work on this case, she was named Outstanding Pro Bono Attorney for LAMBDA Legal, a national non-profit GLBT organization.

Actively involved in her community, LeeAnn serves on the domestic juvenile court pro se pro bono committee. She also serves on a committee formed by Judge Jim Mason to create a Self-Representation Center for the Common Pleas Court Division of Domestic Relations. When completed, the center will assist unrepresented litigants by providing access to information and pleadings for a wide variety of domestic relations matters.

In nominating her, one of LeeAnn’s colleagues said: “LeeAnn demonstrates the level of professionalism and leadership that makes her extremely well-respected by her peers, opposing counsel and the Court. Her attention to detail and thorough preparation make her an extremely effective advocate for her clients.”